


Come Away to the Water

by Colorfullyminded



Series: Pinescone Month [7]
Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Genre: But I still consider it a form of horror, Come Away to The Water by Maroon 5, Death, Horror, M/M, One of the few horror stories I've ever wrote, Poetry, Poetry in Italics, Siren!Wirt, Song lyrics in Bold, The poetry is original, The song lyrics are not, This a dark story, Wendigo!Wirt, it's mine, it's not super long, or super terrifying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 10:56:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20947193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colorfullyminded/pseuds/Colorfullyminded
Summary: Bright eyes bound for glory.Such curious eyes, hungry for the unknown.Stray from the path those curious eyes do. Away, away, away.Far away from your home. Those little eyes roam.Come back, said his father,Don’t go, cried his mother,Stay close, begged his sister,But bound to the light, was the brother.





	Come Away to the Water

**Author's Note:**

> 7th Prompt: Songs of the Dark Lantern
> 
> (Song: Maroon 5's "Come Away to the Water")

“This is Dipper Pines on Anomaly #456: The Figure on the Marshland. While walking through the woods, I noticed that some grass and undergrowth had been disturbed a few feet away from the walking path. The ground hardly looked damaged, and the size of the impressions in the grass weren’t too deep, so it wasn’t likely that a monster had made them. And yet the impressions were still pretty prominent, so they couldn’t have been a small woodland critter either. In fact, the shape on the impression looked to be about a size 9 ½ shoe, which means that the tracks were quite possibly human. I decided to investigate! 

Making notches in the trees to find my way back, in case the danger became imminent, I followed the footsteps. I noticed something odd about the ground I was walking on. It was unusually wet and slippery, despite the fact that we haven’t had rain in quite awhile. And yet the path was damp, and some of the indents in the ground even had small puddles forming in them. ‘Was the person sopping wet when they took this walk?’ I thought, as I continued to make my way through the woods. 

Not only that, but there was this putrid smell that seemed to linger in the air. It smelled swampy, like wet moss and algae. My conclusions were proven correct as the further in the woods I went, the slicker the ground became; bits of moss clinging to the trees. The light from the sun seemed to be quickly disappearing. I realized I was in heavier terrain now; the sun hadn’t set, it was blocked out by large, twisting trees. I was eventually thrust into complete darkness; I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Thankfully I had packed some Illumination Shrooms--_ Not to be digested, _ which will glow a bright, luminescent hue when exposed to complete darkness. So, with the light of the fungus, I continued on, until the path led me to a large shrubbery, the footprints stopping just before it. 

I felt there was something behind the bush, and even with a nervous heart, I pressed on.

And it was there I saw it. A large, putrid bog, hidden from civilization. Bald Cypress trees surrounded the area. Moss covered the trunks, and the roots of the trees. Algae cascaded over the top of the lake like a blanket. It was nearly deceptive; it looked like you could walk across it. I could hear bullfrogs and crickets, and just vaguely make out dragonflies buzzing about, but only because they were whizzing so close to my face. A large fog had swept over the swamp, making it difficult to see beyond, to see how far it stretched. This is where things got interesting: I swear, when I squinted my eyes, I could just make out a shadowy figure somewhere on the marsh. The shape was large, and though distorted, it looked fairly human shaped. I believe the figure to be the person who made the path. As I watched the figure, I felt this strange feeling inside, like it was beckoning me to come closer. But with the fog growing heavier, I found it impossible to go any further. The figure disappeared into the fog, and when I shouted for it, I received only the sounds of the bullfrogs in return. I believe there is something there, something that I must discover. I’m going back today, and this time I brought a lantern that I hope will help me through this fog. I decided not to tell Mabel about it. This could be very dangerous...I don’t want her to get hurt.

  
  
Also, I feel like...like the figure wants only me…

\--Anyway, I plan to investigate, and get to the bottom of the figure on the lake. Follow up to come. Dipper out!”

**Come away little loss,**

**Come away to the Water,**

**To the ones that are waiting only for you,**

**Come away little loss,**

**Come away to the Water,**

**Away from the life that you always knew.**

**We Are Calling…**

**To You…**

_ Bright eyes bound for glory. _

_ Such curious eyes, hungry for the unknown. _

_ Stray from the path those curious eyes do. Away, away, away. _

_ Far away from your home. Those little eyes roam. _

_ Come back, said his father, _

_ Don’t go, cried his mother, _

_ Stay close, begged his sister, _

_ But bound to the light, was the brother. _

_ Bright eyes filled with determination. _

_ How I watched them glow. _

_ How they sparkled in the sunlight, _

_ How they darkened in the grove. _

_ Delicious those eyes. _

_ I yearned for their lustrous shine. _

_ Those curious, bright, determined eyes. _

_ Away, away, away. How I longed for them to be mine. _

Dipper took tepid steps towards the pathway leading into the bog he had uncovered yesterday. Clutching journal three close to his chest with one hand, he used his other hand to hold up the lantern. He expected the grass to be dry this time around, but when his shoe met the indent of the previous owner’s footprints, he was surprised to feel damp grass brush his ankles once again. Each step Dipper carefully planned out; one mistake would cause him to fall, and with the burning lantern he was already struggling to keep above his head, he didn’t want to be the cause of burning down the whole forest.

**Come Away little light,**

**Come Away to the Darkness,**

**In the shade of the night we’ll come looking for you.**

**Come Away little light,**

**Come Away to the Darkness,**

**To the ones appointed to see it through.**

**We are Calling…**

**...For You**

_ Follow. Follow. Follow the song. _

_ Whispers through the willows. _

_ Find me. Find me. Find the poet. _

_ He’s playing in the gallows. _

_ The aspirations of a dream, started from a man, who was not so long a boy. _

_ Inquisitive minds. They need knowledge to grow. _

_ He left in his wake another young sap, _

_ He planted the seeds, over 30 years ago. _

_ Now it feeds. _

_ Feeds from the Needs of a man, who planted the Seed for it to Breed, _

_ In the young boy, until what was left is a Weed, consumed by Greed. _

_ And now...now it bleeds. _

_  
_Dipper stepped over the overgrown foliage beneath his feet, and was greeted with the smell of the marshlands. That same, sickening scent of decay and disease. Sludge, the smell of something unsanitary burned Dipper’s nostrils, even stronger than the day before. He pinched his nose, eyes watering. He coughed and hacked, gagging on the taste of something foul in the air. _How could the scent be even worse than before?_ He wasn’t even close to the marsh, and yet tears were already starting to stream down his cheeks. It was fetid!

  
  
But- _ Dipper swallowed the pain _\- he had to continue on. He was an explorer. If he didn’t investigate this anomaly, he would never discover the truth, and bring this knowledge to light. He was never one to turn away from a mystery. Neither fear of death, nor the smell would deter Dipper from pressing on. He took a step forward.

He was going to get to the bottom of this.

**We Are Coming for you...**

_ You can’t reap what you don’t sow. _

_ You can’t sing what you don’t know. _

_ You can’t speak, if your voice is low. _

_ You can’t leave, unless I say so. _

The lantern guided Dipper through the darkness. He could hear whispers, unintelligible gibberish, that made his hair stand on end. He pushed past the noise, through the darkness, until he came upon the shrubbery. The whispers grew louder, sounding like wails, but the noises they made were alien and frightening, and Dipper didn’t want to be around them very long. They instilled some primal panic in him. He didn’t want to know where they were coming from, and the fact that they were coming from a place of pure darkness, only heightened his anxiety. He leaped through the shrubbery onto the other side.

**Come away little Lamb, **

**Come Away to the Water,**

**Give yourself so we might live anew.**

**Come away little Lamb,**

**Come away to the Slaughter,**

**To the ones appointed to see this through.**

**We are calling…**

**...For You**

_ I am here. _

_ I am waiting for you. _

_ Always waiting. Tick Tock Tick Tock, _

_ Come seek what is true. _

_ I am holding out hope, _

_ I am calling your name, _

_ Don’t be frightened, don’t be afraid, _

_ Don’t run; It would be a shame. _

_ Come and take me as I am, _

_ Come and take what I have to give, _

_ I am your salvation, I am your reprieve _

_ I will be the one to decide whether you live... _

_ ...or die... _

The fog was thicker than last time. Dipper squinted through the haze, holding the lantern out. There was hardly a change in the lighting. The hushed whispers were gone, replaced by the diegetic sounds of the creatures in the swamp. The croaking of bullfrogs, the buzzing of the dragonflies, the splashing of fish, the bubbles popping in the sludgy water. There was life all around, and Dipper could barely make out any of it.

But he could certainly smell it. The smell was indescribable. Dipper was certain that the marsh hadn’t smelt this bad the last time, and began to wonder if this was someone’s dumping grounds.

Just then, Dipper heard something new. A voice, softly singing. It blended with the background noise, nearly being swallowed up by the sounds of nature. Dipper strained his ears. 

**We are coming for you…**

_ Can you hear me? _

_ I am weeping, _

_ Do you recall this lullaby? _

_ Are you finally sleeping? _

_ Come and take me as I am, _

_ Come and take my sweetest song, _

_ Come intertwine with me, _

_ The darkest night before the dawn. _

_ Let’s be lovers in the night, _

_ Let’s be sweethearts in the fog, _

_ Let’s be married in the hardest times, _

_ Let’s live forever in the bog. _

_ As the hours pass, the sun will lay herself to rest. _

_ Her welcoming light will flee. _

_ Plunged into the darkness you will be. _

_ It’s alright now; you only ever needed me! _

Dipper’s eyes fluttered, fighting off a sudden bout of exhaustion. A bout he was slowly losing. The voice, despite it’s timid nature, was reaching his ears, every word precise. _ Such a lovely voice, such a gentle soul. _The rational side of Dipper would be trying to snap him out of it, would turn and run, would be screaming at him that he was falling for a trap. It was hard to listen to rationality, when his mind was hazy. All he could do was listen to the singing.

The fog lifted.

**Come away little Lamb, **

**Come away to the Water,**

**To the arms that are waiting only for you.**

**Come away little Lamb,**

**Come away to the Slaughter,**

**To the one appointed to see this through.**

**We are calling…**

**...For You**

_ I see you, _

_ In the dim light of the lantern, _

_ Like a moth to the flame I’ll follow, _

_ And together we’ll go up in flames and burn _

_ I will traverse the murky waters, _

_ I will cut away a path, _

_ I will push the fog asunder, _

_ No one can impede thy wrath, _

_ Of a man consumed with lust, _

_ Of a man consumed with desire, _

_ Of a monster deep in love, _

_ Sapling you have born a fire. _

A young man was standing in front of him, dripping wet. His hair clung to his pale skin, droplets falling from his lashes. He had smoky gray eyes. He had a long, slender nose. He had a crooked, unsure smile. Dipper stared up at him, mesmerized.

The teen had been swimming for a long time; goosebumps rippling up along his arms, his veins visible. His fingers were wrinkled, his clothing soaked through. Dipper could see his thin ribs and rising chest through his white button up. Dipper looked away, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks. He looked down at the man’s shoes instead, trying to distract himself.

Two different pairs; one black, one brown. Water sloshed out the sides when he shuffled his feet.

Dipper should question why he’d been swimming with his clothes on. But the man opened his mouth, and words like honey fell from his lips, and the fog returned, only this time, it filled Dipper’s mind.

**We are coming for you.**

_ You are within my grasp, _

_ A short arm’s length away, _

_ I will wrap you nice and neat, _

_ And steal you from the day. _

_ It’s harsh rays can no longer blind you, _

_ It’s heat will not make you sweat, _

_ Let’s travel to the darkest waters, _

_ Alone, and cold, and soaking wet. _

_ Dive deep, deep deep down, _

_ Into the ocean’s calling tide, _

_ Bubble’s burst from your parting lips, _

_ My baby boy has gone and died. _

The man offered his hands. Dipper took them, knowing, vaguely, that he should be wary. In the back of his mind, far, far back, he heard his Great Uncle Ford’s warnings. He’s trying to reach him, trying to break through Dipper’s stupor. But it’s swallowed up in those pretty eyes, stealing all of Dipper’s attention. He's finding it’s very hard to care, when the young man’s voice is so alluring. 

Dipper winced when their fingers locked; the man was ice cold, seeping into Dipper’s warm flesh. 

The man backed towards the bank of the swamp. Dipper opened his mouth, trying to warn the man that he’d fall in. But the man chuckled, and Dipper couldn’t remember what he was going to say. 

The man stepped onto the water, and even though it rippled, and the algae gave way to water, the man didn’t fall through, even as he took his other foot off solid ground. He was standing over the water, effortlessly. 

He pulled Dipper closer, beckoning him onto the marsh with him.

**We Are Coming For You.**

_ Alone, Alone, _

_ I’ve been so alone, _

_ No one to answer me, _

_ No one to call my home. _

_ Alone, alone, _

_ I’ve been forgotten, _

_ By the people who loved me, _

_ Now their love is just rotten. _

_ Alone, Alone, _

_ I must find my humanity, _

_ I must find the only joy I’ve ever known, _

_ At the price of my own sanity. _

  
  


Dipper followed him. They stepped further away from the bank, gliding slowly towards the center. The man looked at him, his expressions shy, his movements slow. Dipper studied his countenance with rapt interest. 

When they came to the center, the man rested his hand on Dipper’s cheek. Dipper shivered under his biting touch.

“What’s your name?” Dipper asked.

The man smiled stiffly, “I’m a bit embarrassed to tell you. I’m afraid you’ll only laugh, but if you must know, it’s Wirt.”

Dipper blushed, “Why? I think it’s a lovely name. It’s different, but it fits you nicely.”

Wirt’s eyes widened, and his smile seemed a little more relaxed, perhaps even a tad sorrowful. “No one’s ever told me that before. Thank you. You’re very beautiful.”

Dipper blushed, “I’m really not.”

Wirt shook his head, “I disagree. You’re positively delicious.”

Dipper laughed, “Delicious? That’s certainly a way to describe me.”

Wirt stepped closer. “It’s true though. You’re delicious, my dear. It makes me want to kiss you. May I?”

Dipper stepped back, but didn’t let go of Wirt’s hands. _ Could he really kiss someone he hardly met? That was more his sister’s avenue. It felt kind of weird, and tarty. _

Wirt’s eyes fell, his lips forming a pout. “I’m sorry, I did not mean to upset you. It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen someone as lovely as you.”

“Is that your pickup line for every guy you find in a swamp?” Dipper teased. Once more, something was telling him this was off. Something was telling him to question his words a little harder. _ Why was it so hard to think right now? _

“I’m often famished for companionship. I don’t have many people I can converse with who understand me. Hardly anyone entertains me anymore.”

  
  
“Do I entertain you?” Dipper asked.

“You’re very lovely, I’m enjoying the short time we have together.”

“Why does it have to be short?” Dipper inquired.

That sorrowful expression returned, and Wirt looked away, staring at the bald cypress, in deep contemplation. Dipper followed his line of sight, trying to see what the young man was looking at. The fog was swirling around them, growing thicker. 

“_ I’m sorry Greg. I know you must despise me, if you knew what I’ve become. But I must survive. It’s the only way to find you…” _

Dipper whipped his head back around. “Who’s Gre--”

**We Are Coming…**

**...For You.**

_ “Long Long ago _

_ There was a pilgrim boy, _

_ He left this world, _

_ With no longing joy. _

_ On his way, _

_ To the hell he carved, _

_ He took his brother, _

_ And the two of them starved. _

_ The youngest said, _

_ I love you a bunch, _

_ And the pilgrim, so hungry, _

_ Ate him for lunch. _

_ And his blood was sweet, _

_ And his tears were too, _

_ And the Pilgrim kept eating, _

_ Til he’d eaten him thru. _

_ Then there was nothing, _

_ Of the kind little boy, _

_ The pilgrim was left, _

_ With no longing joy. _

_ All alone, all alone, _

_ The monster inside, _

_ Cursed to the rivers, _

_ Til the day that he died. _

_ And when someone new, _

_ Finds their way to the bog, _

_ The pilgrim he comes, _

_ Emerging from the fog. _

_ And he sings to them, _

_ He sings of his woes, _

_ Then he gobbles them up, _

_ That’s just the way it goes. _

_ I’m gentle, I swear, _

_ I’ll make it quick, _

_ You’ve been a lovely guest, _

_ Forgive me, I am sick. _

_ It’s going to be okay, _

_ Please dry your eyes, _

_ I promise it won’t hurt, _

_ There’s no reason now to cry. _

_ I’ve got you, I’m here, _

_ I’ll take it very slow, _

_ Just kiss me, and let me, _

_ Take you undertow. _

_ ...It’s no use now... _

_ You can’t reap what you don’t sow. _

_ You can’t sing what you don’t know. _

_ You can’t speak, if your voice is low. _

  
  
  


_ You can’t leave, ̴̹̲̠̖̯̩̍̿ͅI̷͖̙̲̲̰̎̒͐̅̑̉̆̆̍̉̾̆͝ ̴̼̺̠̻̎̽͊̉̉̽͛̚͝ͅw̸̨͚̩̬̱̟͍̥̥̖̪̤͔͙̾̆̇̈́̅̚ͅơ̵̡̝̬̩̠̺̇̋͜͝ͅn̶̡͔̼͓̝̮̟̮̣̳̈́̌͆̑̂̏̍͐̓̎̚̕͝ͅ’̴̨̥̥̱̻̉͆̋̏̎̀̊͑̃̕ṭ̸̓̅͐ ̷̢̠̗̖̙͉̲̀͒͒͛͊̔̊̒͑̇͑͘̕͝ļ̴̨͕̯̦̭̈́͌͌e̴̡͕̠͇̤̯̟̟̼͖̣̊̏̊͑ṯ̵̛̛̓̈́̊̐͊̐̐̽̑͋̎̕ ̴̫̭͙̓͛͐̎̓̈̓̅̐̌̏̕͘̚ÿ̷̢̛̭͓̤̯́̽͌̑̓̍͛̓̚͜ǫ̵̨͚̙̠̮͚̬̫̱̠͕̽͗͛͗ư̷̬̘̱̦̣͎̤̙͎̪̐̿͜͜͜ ̷͉͈͉̰̥̥͉̞͈̏͐̆̔͠͠ǧ̶̖̰̥̫͈͔̼̙͚̥̟͉̼͂̾̔͂͆̀̿͒̇̿̑̋̓͊ȯ̶̼̻͔͔̜͉͎̲̳̩̞͍̱̝̚͝ͅ. _

  
  


Bubbles floated to the surface of the water. They popped, one after the other.

_ One… _

_ Two… _

_ ...Three… _

All was still. The fog rolled in, hiding the marshlands from civilization.

And deep under the green, murky waters, the pilgrim brushed aside his victim’s hair, kissing his lips--_ where they once would have been- _and hummed a lullaby to himself. 

_ To help him forget. _

“You were really quite lovely.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what Wirt is exactly. He's sort of like a Siren/Wendigo hybrid, but he still retains his human form. So like a phantom/ghost on the water, who just happens to drown and eat his victims after seducing them with his poetry. 
> 
> Don't get him confused with Beast!Wirt, cause I didn't want to make him that. He did end up dying in the unknown, but due to his crimes and what he did to his brother, he suffers from a worse fate than possession. Anyway, I like this story a lot. And I really enjoyed writing the poetry, that was my favorite part!
> 
> Sorry it wasn't longer. I'm sure everyone's expecting me to write like 30 pages of fiction, but that takes a lot out of me. I try to write a decent amount, a good place to start and end. I hope you guys are enjoying all the stories, even if some are shorter than others.
> 
> Again, I attempted horror, but it's not like real horror. It's just disturbing. It's not even dark, or gory enough to put a M rating.


End file.
